With the onset of cold weather in some people the skin on the face after the street is covered with a rash, spots, scaly, sometimes with itching, blisters may appear.

In the warmth of these troubles are, but reappear at the next exit in the cold.
This phenomenon is called the cold allergy.
The title is not quite correct, because the mechanisms of this trouble are different from ordinary allergic reaction. Therefore, cold allergy refers to a group of pseudo-allergy because it does not have the allergen itself. Instead, it acts as a physical factor, namely cold, which causes unsightly and just such an unpleasant response. Often aggravating factor is the frosty wind.
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What are the causes of the negative reaction?

Nature sharp reaction of the organism to exposure to cold is still not known until the end, and medicine has no generally accepted criteria for staging such a diagnosis
. It is believed that the tissue locally cooled under the influence of cold air, thus there is damage to cell membranes
. As a result of the accumulation of specific proteins - cryoglobulins, which give the start of an allergic reaction, which is manifested by redness of the skin, its dryness, tingling and itching
. If you stay in the cold for a long time, may cause swelling and blisters, and in the worst case - swelling of the nose and throat (angioedema)
. But in a warm place for the human condition improved dramatically, though with an abrupt change in temperature (from low to high) there is an active evaporation of moisture from the skin surface
. As a result, the facial skin (hands, and if you do not protect their gloves or mittens) becomes more sensitive and dry starts to peel off, and shows cracks
.

The result is a desperate situation: in the cold and the skin suffers and in the heat it is not very good.

It is believed that cold allergy may be due to chronic foci (tonsillitis, caries), taking certain medications (such as antibiotics), but does not exclude a genetic predisposition and a reaction to the cold. Note that on cold allergy may suffer not only the face but also other parts of the body not covered by clothing (hands, wrists, neck, etc.).

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Who is most susceptible to cold allergy?

Like everything illness, cold allergy is a "risk" that most often suffers from this disease. The most susceptible to a bad reaction to the cold:

Women. Yes, the weaker sex here is really weaker than men. The fact that the skin is thinner in women men and therefore more susceptible to the influence of physical factors unpleasant.

People who have dry skin type. This applies to both men and women. People with this type of skin is reduced production of sebum by the sebaceous glands, which is a natural barrier against frost.
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What are the symptoms to help recognize the disease?

Conventionally, cold allergy can be divided, depending on the degree of symptoms, in two forms:

Cold dermatitis - involves peeling, redness and itching of the skin.

Cold urticaria - a severe form of allergic reaction that causes the appearance of itchy blisters, similar to those that remain after the sting.

Even with a slight lowering of the temperature of the skin may show symptoms of allergies. They disappear after a few hours. The paradox, but also a completely healthy person, never suffered from allergies, hives may occur.

This disease and in some cases may occur and positive temperatures, but when there is strong wind and high humidity. The most sad is the fact that if the causal factors (unfavorable climate conditions) disease can develop.
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We carry out the test on a cold

To verify that you are prone to cold allergies or not, you can conduct a simple test. To attach the hand for 5-8 min ice cube. If at this point the skin begins to itch, redden or burn becomes, therefore, you have a predisposition to the disease.
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How to treat cold allergy

So, if walking in a winter season on your skin appear red spots or other symptoms of the disease, which tend to worsen, then the best solution is to appeal to the allergist. It should be clearly understood that the cold allergy is a deviation, which requires no consultation of the dermatologist and treatment have an allergist, as it will not restore the original appearance of your cheeks, and will immediately search for the causes of the disease. Allergist should evaluate the response of your body to the cold, and you pick up the necessary treatment.

There is a new and unique treatment of allergic diseases - autolimfotsitoterapiya. This method is also effective against cold allergy. The principle of the method is to vosmirazovom injection under the skin with a two-day interval of immune cells - lymphocytes, which are extracted from the blood of the patient by cold or cold urticaria dermatitis. The treatment lasts three to four weeks. This method is absolutely safe, devoid of age contraindications. This treatment gives the cold allergy resistant clinical effect.

But if you are constrained by circumstances that do not allow you to see a doctor, then, through the implementation of simple guidelines, you can own hands to protect themselves or their loved ones from cold allergy symptoms.

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How to self-treat a negative reaction to cold

It is necessary to minimize the effects of cold and wind on the body. In winter, in full use hoods, warm hats and scarves, warm gloves or mittens (best of wool or other natural materials). When freezing do not rub her face in the cold - so you contribute to micro-traumas of the capillaries. Instead, cover your face and hands breathe.

The use of cosmetics

Every night before going to sleep on your face, apply moisturizing skin food, and no later than half an hour before going outside, on the face and hands, apply a thin layer of protective (but not in any way dampening) fat cream (preferably based on natural oils) - partly because you will save your skin from the cold. Blot excess cream cloth.

Adjustments of the daily diet

Your diet should be rich foods in the omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids (this is seafood, a variety of vegetable oils). Or, as an alternative, take the fish oil for three weeks one capsule 1-2 times per day.

Use of drugs

When expressed allergy symptoms (edema, infiltrates, itching), you must start taking antihistamines, following the instructions. Treatment with antihistamines spend 10 days or when symptoms appear.
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Daily Recommendations

Soap when washing replace it with a cleansing milk (as soap dries the skin) and do not use alcohol-based tonics because they aggravate the symptoms of the disease and slow down its treatment.

Make sure that the air in your home is not very dry. It is also necessary to give up the sauna, baths and swimming pool during the frost.

If these recommendations are not effective or you get worse (there was swelling of the throat, makes it difficult to breathe), immediately contact a doctor, allergist and pass designee treatment.

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Prevention of cold allergy

It is well known that the best way to prevent diseases associated with weakened immune systems, is hardening. Cold allergy in this case is no exception. If you are experiencing cold symptoms cold allergy, you are recommended:

Contrast rinse face. It must be carried out for 1, 5-2 hours before bedtime, alternating cool and warm water. You should not go to extremes (used as a contrast of hot and cold water).

Contrast baths for hands. First 30 seconds to hold hands in a cool (not cold!) Water, then dip them in warm (not hot!) Water to stay warm. Again, do so two or three times, finishing with cold water. When the hands begin to get used to the warm and cool water, the water temperature is gradually changing, bringing warm to hot and cool - to a temperature of +10 ͦ C.

To begin such procedures are not better in the winter, and in the warmer months.

And remember: it is always better to prevent disease rather than cure them.